Weddings
We believe that God has instituted the special relationship of marriage between a man and a woman. We believe that the marriage relationship is second only in importance to one's relationship with God through Jesus Christ. We believe that the marriage ceremony is a very special time of worship. We believe that God has clearly communicated to us about his plan for marriage from the Bible, the authoritative Word of God.
Wedding Information Guidelines
Seven Rivers Presbyterian Church wants to help make your wedding day one of the happiest and most sacred memories of your life. It is our desire to serve you in every way that is practical and in accordance with our total church program. We have found it helpful to develop policies and regulations, which will help your wedding run smoothly. We suggest you read through these guidelines carefully and ask any questions you may have.
Dates (Rehearsal & Wedding)
In order for a couple to reserve a wedding date at the church and have a
Seven Rivers Pastor officiate at their wedding, either the bride or the
groom must be a member of Seven Rivers Presbyterian Church.
Here are the steps:
Prior to reserving the sanctuary and setting the date with a pastor,
couples are required to complete their first of two premarital
counseling sessions with Rich Greete, a Christian Counselor where
they will complete an online “Prepare/Enrich Inventory.” There is a
fee for this, which is to be paid by the wedding couple to Rich
Greete. Rich Greete can be contacted at 352.613.4549.
After completing one or both meetings with Rich Greete, couples
should contact the church office, 352.746.6200 or
Linda Gangi to set up an
initial meeting with a pastor to set the date. A firm commitment
from the church cannot be given until this meeting has taken place.
Wedding couples must also attend the Marriage Preparation Class. The
class is offered as needed. If a schedule does not allow class
attendance, contact the church office and other arrangements can be
made. There is no cost for the class.
Once the commitment from the church has been given, you will need to
fill out the
Wedding Facility Request Form and mail it to Seven Rivers
Presbyterian Church, 4221 W. Gulf to Lake Hwy, Lecanto, FL 34461. It
is recommended that you begin this process at least six months
before your wedding date.
If you wish to be married by a non-Seven Rivers pastor, please
coordinate that through
Rev.
Adam Jones at the church office, 352.746.6200.
For Sunday ceremonies, it takes some time for our maintenance team to
thoroughly clean the sanctuary and adjoining areas after weekend
worship. You may make use of the building anytime after 12:30 p.m. and
begin your wedding ceremony anytime after 3:00 p.m. If after services
maintenance does not concern you, you may request an earlier ceremony
time. The building should also be reserved (usually the day or evening
before the wedding day) for the wedding rehearsal.
For Saturday ceremonies, your wedding should begin no later than 1:00
p.m. All related wedding activity (including clean up) must be completed
no later than 3:00 p.m. It is the responsibility of the wedding party to
insure all decorations are removed immediately following the ceremony.
It is important that the sanctuary be available to our maintenance staff
for cleaning and our worship department for rehearsal at 3:00 p.m.
If you are planning a wedding on any day other than Saturday or Sunday,
similar rules to these apply, but may be slightly modified to
accommodate the needs of both the church and wedding party.
Rehearsal and Ceremony Guidelines
At least four weeks before the wedding, you will need to contact the
officiating pastor to set up a time to meet with him to discuss the
format of the wedding ceremony. The pastors have a standard outline for
the order of worship for the ceremony and will work with you to make
sure your wedding is a special one.
All members of the wedding party will meet with the officiating pastor
in the sanctuary for a one-hour rehearsal, usually the day before the
wedding. Because of family and ministry responsibilities, Seven Rivers’
pastors are sometimes unable to attend rehearsal dinners and/or
receptions. It is hoped that such inability will not be taken as an
offense, but if you would like, please do invite the Pastor (and his
spouse) to attend.
You should plan to have the entire wedding party at the church at least
one hour before the wedding ceremony. If you wish to have live
photography or have your wedding ceremony filmed, the pastor will need
to discuss appropriate parameters before the wedding.
Reception
If you would like to use the church facilities for your reception, the gymnasium is often the best venue. The Florida Room is also often available. On Saturday, a reception in the Florida Room must end at 3:00 p.m. due to the need to prepare the building for evening worship. The Florida Room and lobby area may be available any other day as long as it is not held at times that interfere with scheduled church or school events.
Tables and chairs will be provided to you upon request. It is your responsibility to remove all decorations and take down the tables and chairs immediately following the reception. You may also reserve the kitchen to prepare your reception. Your caterer should contact the church office at least two weeks in advance and meet with the Church Administrator, Facility Manager, or the Wedding Coordinator concerning:
- Certificate of insurance and signed release of liability.
- The time the Gym or Florida Room needs to be opened for food preparation.
- Any tables or other church equipment to be used.
- Time of arrival of food, storage of food, etc.
The caterer will supply linens, plates, cups, silverware, and serving
pieces.
Standard church policy prohibits alcoholic beverages from being served or
consumed on the church and school premises at any time. Smoking is also not
permitted in any of the church or school buildings.
For rented items that cannot be picked up the day of the wedding, prior
arrangements should be made with the church for storage. Seven Rivers is not
responsible for missing or broken rental items.
Music, Sound & Lights
Once your wedding date has been confirmed, a Sound & Light Technician
will be scheduled for your wedding through the church office. Please
make sure you discuss any special sound and lighting needs for the
wedding ceremony with the wedding coordinator, Linda Gangi, two to three
weeks before the rehearsal. Pre-recorded videos to be shown during the
service must be given to the wedding coordinator one week before the
wedding.
The grand piano and organ are available for your use; church staff will
help you if these items need to be moved from their standard locations.
Arrangements for musicians are to be made by the wedding party and it is
advised that you secure these as far in advance as is possible.
Photographer
Please inform your photographer that no flash pictures may be taken during the ceremony. He or she should be asked to remember the solemnity of the occasion and to refrain from attracting attention to himself/herself by taking pictures from conspicuous locations. Arrangements may be made before and/or after the service for pictures to be taken.
Video Taping the Service
Videotaping equipment may be used with natural lighting. If you plan to have videotaping from the front of the sanctuary during the ceremony, please discuss this with the officiating pastor.
Decorations
The sanctuary is, by design, a place of beauty and dignity.
Therefore, decorations for the sanctuary should be kept within the
bounds of simplicity and good taste.
Baskets, candelabrum, aisle cloths, or a kneeling bench should be
furnished by the florist or other rental facility and removed at the
conclusion of the ceremony. Equipment may be delivered Friday afternoon
or Saturday morning. Please make arrangements with the wedding
coordinator. If equipment cannot be picked up after the ceremony, please
make sure the church has the appropriate place to store these items.
Seven Rivers is not responsible for any missing or broken rental items.
Decorations cannot be nailed, screwed, tacked, taped, or wired to the
walls, woodwork, or pews of the church. Rice, confetti, birdseed, or
similar materials may not be used inside or outside the church buildings.
Bubbles may be used outdoors. Decorations should be secured to the pews with ribbon, or similar
material.
The florist must provide adequate mats or cloths to be placed under the
candle fixtures to protect the floor and woodwork. Please use only
drip-less candles.
Because of fire regulations, please make sure exits are left free of
decorations.
The church’s seasonal decorations (Christmas trees, banners etc.) should
not be moved or removed. Please consult the wedding coordinator for
details.
Choir chairs should not be moved or removed from the choir loft. All
musical instruments and sound equipment will be moved to the sides of
the stage by church staff.
The bride should advise the florist of these rules. For your
convenience, another copy of this decorations section (entitled "Decorations
Policy") is attached for you to give to your florist.
Dressing Rooms
Dressing rooms are provided for the bride and her attendants and for the groom and his attendants upon request. The bridal and groomsmen dressing rooms are available two hours before the ceremony. All personal items should be removed from the dressing rooms after the wedding ceremony and before the reception.
Fees
Seven Rivers does not charge members for use of our buildings;
however, in order to offset the additional costs for utilities, the
services of custodians, sound techs, and the wedding coordinator, the
following fees will be due from the wedding couple sixty days prior to
the wedding date. A Seven Rivers employee will be on the premises during
any wedding preparation.
$250 Wedding Only (includes us of A/V technician)
$350 Wedding and Florida Room Reception*
$550 Wedding and Florida Room/Lobby Reception*
$400 Wedding and Gymnasium Reception
*Restrictions see "Reception"
Others fees and arrangements made by the wedding party:
- Musicians
- Vocalists
- Seven Rivers Pastor's Honorarium
- Seven Rivers Wedding Planner (not the same as our staff wedding coordinator)
- If the church needs to be open more than two hours before the ceremony, $20 an hour will be charged.
- Decorations and set-up may be done during church office hours or in the two hours before the ceremony. After hours, $20 an hour will be charged.
Seven Rivers Church Office Hours:
Monday thru Friday
8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
352.746.6200
In case of cancellation, a full refund will be given.
Downloadable Forms:
Planning Your Wedding at Seven Rivers
Preliminary Information Form
Facility Request Form
Decorations Policy
Contact Linda Gangi at the church office with questions.